About The Author

MacDara Conroy

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Irish Coast Guard

The Irish Coast Guard is Ireland's 4th Blue Light service (along with An Garda Síochána, the Ambulance Service and the Fire Service). It provides a nationwide maritime emergency organisation as well as a variety of services to shipping and other government agencies.

The purpose of the Irish Coast Guard is to promote safety and security standards, and by doing so, prevent as far as possible, the loss of life at sea, and on inland waters, mountains and caves, and to provide effective emergency response services and to safeguard the quality of the marine environment.

The Irish Coast Guard has responsibility for Ireland's system of marine communications, surveillance and emergency management in Ireland's Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) and certain inland waterways.

It is responsible for the response to, and co-ordination of, maritime accidents which require search and rescue and counter-pollution and ship casualty operations. It also has responsibility for vessel traffic monitoring.

Operations in respect of maritime security, illegal drug trafficking, illegal migration and fisheries enforcement are co-ordinated by other bodies within the Irish Government.

Introduction

On average, each year, the Irish Coast Guard is expected to:

handle 3,000 marine emergencies

assist 4,500 people and save about 200 lives

task Coast Guard helicopters on missions around 2000 times (40 times to assist mountain rescues and 200 times to carry out aeromedical HEMS missions on behalf of the HSE), Coast Guard volunteer units will respond 1000 times and RNLI and community lifeboats will be tasked by our Coordination Centres about 950 times

make around 6,000 maritime safety broadcasts to shipping, fishing and leisure craft users

carry out a safety on the water campaign that targets primary schools and leisure craft users, including at sea and beach patrols

investigate approximately 50 maritime pollution reports

The Coast Guard has been around in some form in Ireland since 1908.

List of Coast Guard Units in Ireland

Achill, Co. Mayo

Ardmore, Co. Waterford

Arklow, Co. Wicklow

Ballybunion, Co. Kerry

Ballycotton, Co. Cork

Ballyglass, Co. Mayo

Bonmahon, Co. Waterford

Bunbeg, Co. Donegal

Carnsore, Co. Wexford

Castlefreake, Co. Cork

Castletownbere, Co. Cork

Cleggan, Co. Galway

Clogherhead, Co. Louth

Costelloe Bay, Co. Galway

Courtown, Co. Wexford

Crosshaven, Co. Cork

Curracloe, Co. Wexford

Dingle, Co. Kerry

Doolin, Co. Clare

Drogheda, Co. Louth

Dun Laoghaire, Co. Dublin

Dunmore East, Co. Waterford

Fethard, Co. Wexford

Glandore, Co. Cork

Glenderry, Co. Kerry

Goleen, Co. Cork

Greencastle, Co. Donegal

Greenore, Co. Louth

Greystones, Co. Wicklow

Guileen, Co. Cork

Howth, Co. Dublin

Kilkee, Co. Clare

Killala, Co. Mayo

Killybegs, Co. Donegal

Kilmore Quay, Co. Wexford

Knightstown, Co. Kerry

Mulroy, Co. Donegal

North Aran, Co. Galway

Old Head Of Kinsale, Co. Cork

Oysterhaven, Co. Cork

Rosslare, Co. Wexford

Seven Heads, Co. Cork

Skerries, Co. Dublin

Summercove, Co. Cork

Toe Head, Co. Cork

Tory Island, Co. Donegal

Tramore, Co. Waterford

Waterville, Co. Kerry

Westport, Co. Mayo

Wicklow

Youghal, Co. Cork

The roles of the Irish Coast Guard

The main roles of the Irish Coast Guard are to rescue people from danger at sea or on land, to organise immediate medical transport and to assist boats and ships within the country's jurisdiction.

Each year the Irish Coast Guard co-ordinates the response to thousands of incidents at sea and on the cliffs and beaches of Ireland. It does this through its Marine Rescue Centres which are currently based in:

Coast Guard helicopters

The Irish Coast Guard has contracted five medium-lift Sikorsky Search and Rescue helicopters deployed at bases in Dublin, Waterford, Shannon and Sligo.

The helicopters are designated wheels up from initial notification in 15 minutes during daylight hours and 45 minutes at night. One aircraft is fitted and its crew trained for under slung cargo operations up to 3000kgs and is available on short notice based at Waterford.

They can also be used for assistance in flooding, major inland emergencies, intra-hospital transfers, pollution, and aerial surveillance during daylight hours, lifting and passenger operations and other operations as authorised by the Coast Guard within appropriate regulations.

The Coast Guard can contract specialised aerial surveillance or dispersant spraying aircraft at short notice internationally.

Helicopter tasks include:

the location of marine and aviation incident survivors by homing onto aviation and marine radio distress transmissions, by guidance from other agencies, and by visual, electronic and electro-optical search

the evacuation of survivors from the sea, and medical evacuees from all manner of vessels including high-sided passenger and cargo vessels and from the islands

the evacuation of personnel from ships facing potential disaster

search and or rescue in mountainous areas, caves, rivers, lakes and waterways

the transport of offshore fire-fighters (MFRTs) or ambulance teams (MARTs) and their equipment following a request for assistance

the provision of safety cover for other search and rescue units including other Marine Emergency Service helicopters

pollution, casualty and salvage inspections and surveillance and the transport of associated personnel and equipment

inter-agency training in all relevant aspects of the primary role

onshore emergency medical service, including evacuation and air ambulance tasks

relief of the islands and of areas suffering from flooding or deep snow

The secondary roles of the helicopter are:

the exercise of the primary search, rescue and evacuation roles in adjacent search and rescue regions

assistance to onshore emergency services, such as in the evacuation of high-rise buildings

public safety awareness displays and demonstrations

providing helicopter expertise for seminars and training courses

The Irish Coast Guard provides aeronautical assets for search and rescue in the mountains of Ireland. Requests for Irish Coast Guard assets are made to the Marine Rescue Centres.

Requests are accepted from An Garda Síochána and nominated persons in Mountain Rescue Teams.